28 December 2007
Bujumbura — One government soldier was killed in clashes that opposed PALIPEHUTU-FNL combatants and the National Defence Forces in Musigati commune of Bubanza province.
The fighting started this morning at around 4:30. A sentry box belonging to the Burundain army, the Forces for National Defense (FDN) at Mpishi was destroyed as well.
The population of Musigati has fled to their parish and the headquarters of their commune. Many of their belongings were looted during the combat that targeted areas close to the Kibira forest which FNL combatants inhabit.
The deadline set by the regional community for the leaders of PALIPEHUTU-FNL to return is drawing near. There are hopes that PALIHEHUTU-FNL will return to the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism after the political board which includes the regional initiative, the facilitation, the African Union and the United Nations, expressed their determination to complete this last phase of the peace process. The Political Board promised that it would work to create a favourable environment for the return of PALIPEHUTU-FNL to the JVMM by ensuring the security of the leaders of this armed political movement.
Leaders of PALIPEHUTU-FNL expressed their full support and welcomed the national assembly's decision to take charge of the peace process. The efforts of the national assembly were, however, thwarted on 20 December 2007 by members of the parliament loyal to the Ngozi wing of the CNDD-FDD. This wing holds considerable power and believes that PALIPEHUTU-FNL should be punished if they do not return to the JVMM before 31 December. Jacques Bigirimana, the spokesman of the FNL delegation to the JVMM, who was declared dead in some political circles, announced his party's return to the commission if their leader, Agathon Rwasa, sends them.
Burundi is trying to close the chapter of a civil war which spanned 13 years. Previous governments have succeeded in striking peace deals with all armed political movement except PALIPEHUTU-FNL. Currently, the CNDD-FDD-led government is buying time and might be planning for a war, considering that the security and defence ministries got the lion's share of funding in the 2008 budget.
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